Notes on Shadow Type Labrys

The dark side...

What is her name?

Given the existence of Labrys' actual shadow (the one with Asterius, commonly known as "Shabrys"), what to call this variant of Labrys has always been tricky. However, as of late, she has been called "Stabrys" (the "T" being taken from "Shadow Type" - which seems to fit well). Therefore, this is how I will refer to her, and I encourage you to do so also.

What's the difference?

Shadows are different in multiple ways - I'll go over each way here and explain how it affects her and her gameplan. As a quick note, the author does not play and has not fully explored the potential of Stabrys, and therefore the following information should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Health and awakening differences

Shadows have 1000 extra health, but cannot enter awakening. This by itself isn't a big deal overall - Labrys starts with 9500 health, and having 10500 is nice, but not particularly game-changing. Losing awakening means no access to that instant 50SP, but this is balanced out by increased SP gain of shadows in general.

Normal Labrys has (9500*0.35) 3325 health when entering awakening. Awakening health has a defence boost applied causing all damage to do 62.5% of its full value, meaning it takes (3325/0.625) 5,320 actual damage to kill her, granting a total of (9500 - 3325 + 5320) 11,495 health roughly in a best case scenario. That being said, you'll often not get your full awakening health (and Labrys lacks a good way to force awakening, and most top tiers will still be able to kill you either without letting you enter awakening or despite you having extra defence. Effectively - the number of hits to kill usually won't change for either character.

The big thing here is that Stabrys has access to gears at all times, making her defensive options much stronger overall (either using it raw or as a cancel from DP). With the ability to combo from gears in the corner, this is something that shouldn't be overlooked.

Increased SP gain

Shadows have increased SP gain - which is helpful in a lot of ways for Labrys. This means increased access to gears, guard cancels, OMC mixups and SB beast, although in red axe this sees little use. Also note that Labrys doesn't have particularly good ways to dump meter for damage, and in red axe will gain enough meter naturally that the extra isn't particularly helpful.

Different auto combo

Stabrys uses the old P4A auto combo. See the frame data of both below:

Note that the old combo has much better frame data on 5AA, although the old 5AA cannot be cancelled into other normals like the new one can, which makes it much harder to use and confirm from. It has better options and proration on grounded hit, and is generally a solid confirm unless the enemy is off the ground or far away. In red axe, allows for forced fatals and an easy corner route.

As a quick rundown of what's possible in each axe level due to the old auto combo:

(Green+) 5AAA > 236B > winch dash > jc j.A > j.B > j.B > j.C > j.214B

• +30SP and decent damage, at the cost of the usual knockdown setups

• Shaky/impossible depending on opponent height and axe level, but is solid at any axe level if opponent is grounded

(Yellow+) 5AAA > sh j.2B > 66 > j.A > j.B > j.B > j.C > j.214B

• +34SP and decent damage

• Also possible to md [5B] as long as opponent isn't too high off the ground (follow up into 236B~A > 214A (single hit) if midscreen, or 66 > 2B > sj.BB > j.C > j.214B if close to corner, or your preferred spike/orb setups)

• Can also md 9 > air turn > j.214B for a groundbounce combo

• Can pick up wallbounce with 5D if close enough to corner

• Omit j.A if opponent too high

• Can also add IAD j.2B after wallbounce for extra corner carry, but this will heavily prorate things

(Yellow+) 5AA > md 5AA > md 5AA...

• 5AA loop - can be done up to 5 times

• In the corner, can be used to do: 5AA > 5A > j.A > j.BB > 7 dl j.2B ... into the red corner route, although difficult, this will still work in yellow if well timed due to how low the opponent is

• In red, 5AA > md 5AA > 2C > [DP] can be used to force a fatal, but as most of the time you will have to pick up with 5A, this isn't a great route

(Red) 5AAA > sh j.2B > md 5DD > ...

• Technically possible in yellow if the stars align, but solid in red if the opponent isn't too high

• This into [5B] > 66 > 2B > sj.BB > j.C > j.214B is +55 meter, and will usually give you enough to double super with shadow frenzy for around 6.5k damage

• 5AAA > s.h j.2B > md 5DD > 66 > [5B] > 236B~A > 214B will also do the same damage slightly quicker, but give less meter. Still possible to shadow frenzy double super from this as long as you start with 15 or meter (10 if you start with j.B)

(Yellow/Red corner) 5AA > 236B > winch dash > jc j.A > j.BB > 7 dl j.2B ...

• Way to enter the corner route as Stabrys, makes up for some of the lost damage for being a shadow, and will gain you nearly full meter

• Possible fully in yellow

Reduced attack damage

Shadows do 90% damage at all times - does dampen one of Labrys' biggest upsides, but somewhat cancelled out by the greater ability to use metered routes and shadow frenzy. Be aware of this if switching between the two.

Shadow frenzy

Accessible instead of gold burst and One More! Burst. Note that the loss of both of these does actually hurt Labrys, as gold burst is a solid defensive option, and the proration reduction and upwards knockback from OMB is actually quite useful in her combos.

For those unsure of what shadow frenzy does, during it you can:

• Cancel any special or SB attack into any other special or SB attack

  • For Labrys, a big one here is the ability to cancel air guillotine into ground guillotine, and guillotines into each other.

• All normals are jump-cancellable on hit and block

  • Not huge for Labrys, most of what you'd want to jump cancel from is already jump cancellable

• Perform attacks that cost SP at the cost of reducing the amount of time left in shadow frenzy

  • Labrys has a hard time dumping meter outside of specific enders, but this will usually allow for nearly any combo to reach at least 4.5k

  • Allows for the 150 meter route of C beast > OMC > air backdash > D beast (requires 58SP left in frenzy on doing C beast)

  • Also allows for C gears > OMC > A Brutal impact, usually done from 214AB > 22A restands, which is high damage and keeps axe level (requires 54 SP left in frenzy on doing C gears, 89sp if you need to restand them with 214AB)

All combos during frenzy are also unburstable. which is probably the biggest benefit for Stabrys.

The most common midscreen frenzy combo is:

X > Frenzy > 5AAAA > 214AB > 214B > 236236C > OMC > 44 > 236236C/D

• Requires approx 87SP at the point of frenzy for double beast

• Returns 1/10th burst due to auto combo usage

• Will get you to red if double beast used

• Works at long as combo is not very heavily prorated (effectively you need auto combo to work, and max proration not reached before 214B), double 2A would prorate too much, but most simple starter combos, including 2A > 5B > 2AB >214A work fine

• If the combo you have done is long, then cut out moves until it works - usually by doing either 214AB immedaitely, or going straight into supers

A common corner frenzy combo is:

j.B > 5AA > Frenzy > 5B > 9 j.C > 7 dl j.2B > md [5B] > 214A > 214AB > 214B > 236236C > OMC > 44 > 236236C/D

• Quickest way to gain axe level and do damage

• Requires 94SP to enter and complete a double beast

• Solid and consistent route

• If already at high axe levels, other routes will do more damage

5AA > Frenzy > j.B > j.C > 7 dl j.2B > md [5B] > 236D > dc 5B > 2AB > 214B > 214A(1) > (orb hit) > 22A > 214A (2) > spike hit (1) > 214B > spike hit (2) > 236A > D beast

• Alternative combo that goes from green to red, and only takes 41SP at point of frenzy

• Approx 5.5k damage from green

• Spacing is very picky - need to [5B] them at max height for the pickups to work, although in green this is forced as the combo is very tight

• Possibly not match viable

It is also possible for Stabrys to enter shadow frenzy mid combo, but using neutral frenzy instead of the cancel version (which has the benefit of gaining 1/4 of her burst meter back on completion). The main ways of achieving this are:

• X > 214AB > 22A > 5AA > (22A hit) > neutral frenzy ( > [5B]/A chain > gears ...)

• (corner) j.BB > jump cancel > neutral frenzy (or equally from any other jump cancel such as after a j.2B or AoA~D in the corner)

• 5D > neutral frenzy while opponent is being juggled

Which should you play?

Labrys doesn't have any good ways to take advantage of the benefits of shadows, in fact her design actively prevents good use of frenzy and meter dumping. Having permanent access to gears and a slightly better auto combo and meter gain is nice, but comes with issues. In the opinion of the author, Labrys is a lot more stable whilst also being slightly stronger on average, making Stabrys less viable overall (not that either is a meta pick to begin with).

Where Stabrys gains the most value is against characters with lower health, or those who are particularly bad to get blue bursted by. This gives the following list of opponents where Stabrys could potentially be stronger:

• Yukari

• Elizabeth

• Yukiko

• Naoto

• Ken

Notably, the above is a list of top tiers, which does make the prospect enticing, however remember than the shadow variants, which are often played, do have extra health, which nullifies the benefits a little. Also, you will lose access to gold/blue burst if you want to use frenzy to its full effects, which comes with its own risks.

As a final note, Labrys is also very sweet as a character, so you'll be missing out on a cinnamon roll if you play Stabrys... I'm not here to judge though. If you haven't played/watched Labrys' P4A story at this point, you owe it to yourself to do so.